Much of the UK’s production of essential crops, including cereals and potatoes, is concentrated in areas facing moderate to very high drought risk, Rebalance Earth cautions
A report from nature-focused investment fund Rebalance Earth has warned of the UK’s dependence on drought-risk areas for the majority of its supply of essential foods, including cereals, potatoes, sugar, oil and other fresh produce.
An estimated 81 per cent of England’s fresh produce is grown in areas already experiencing water stress, it revealed, with 67 per cent of its potatoes produced in parts of the country rated as “moderate to very high drought risk”.
The analysis showed that 27 per cent of the country’s fresh produce and 21 per cent of its potatoes were grown in areas facing an acute risk of drought.
“Drought builds slowly and quietly, and rarely gets the same attention as flooding, but its impact runs right through the economy: lower yields, strained supply chains and higher prices in all of our shopping baskets,” Kirsty Wilman, chief operating and financial officer at Rebalance Earth told the Guardian.
Despite the return of rain to many parts of the UK in recent weeks, experts suggest it would take months of sustained rainfall for water resources to full recover from this summer’s drought.
